30 October 2026 | English | FREE Current Affairs PDF

Today’s Highlight: The Union Cabinet approved a 3 percentage point hike in Dearness Allowance, and SEBI said Direct Plans will be the default on fund house digital platforms from 1 November. Government decisions and market regulation updates like these are regularly asked in Banking, SSC and TNPSC exams.

News in One Liner – 30 October 2026

PIB News

DPIIT Launches 6th National Startup Awards, Applications Open Till 20 November

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade launched the 6th edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0) under Startup India. It covers 20 sectoral categories and three special categories, including a new Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award. Applications are open from 27 October to 20 November 2026 on the Startup India portal.

Railways Opens 1,265 Station Master Vacancies Under CEN 08/2026

Indian Railways has opened online applications for 1,265 Station Master posts under Centralised Employment Notice 08/2026. Any graduate can apply from 27 October to 25 November 2026. RRB Mumbai has the most vacancies at 177, followed by Jammu-Srinagar with 122 and Chennai with 119.

Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada To Be Observed From 1 To 15 November

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will observe Janjatiya Gaurav Pakhwada from 1 to 15 November 2026, ending on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Over 300 projects will be taken up on the Diwas. Two digital initiatives, the Jan-HIT Portal and the National FRA Digital Platform, will also be launched.

India And Indonesia Begin 11th Garuda Shakti Special Forces Exercise

The 11th edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise Garuda Shakti began at Banyuwangi, Indonesia, and runs from 27 October to 6 November 2026. The Indian contingent is from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces). Training focuses on special operations in jungle environments and ends with a validation exercise.

India And France Sign Manuscript Heritage MoU Under Gyan Bharatam Mission

The Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris on 26 October 2026 under the Gyan Bharatam Mission. It covers digitisation, cross-sharing on the National Digital Repository, technology exchange, conservation, and research and development. The National Archives of India and the National Library, Kolkata, are partners.

Hardeep Puri Opens 29th Energy Technology Meet, Announces National Hydrocarbon Technology Hub

Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the 29th Energy Technology Meet in Goa on 27 October 2026. The three-day meet is organised by the Centre for High Technology and co-hosted by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. A National Oil and Gas R&D Vision will be implemented through the National Hydrocarbon Technology Hub, which will subsume the Centre for High Technology.

Government Explains Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana For Senior Citizens

The Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana, launched in 2021, is the umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for senior citizens. It supports senior citizen homes, assistive devices, caregiver training and the Elderline helpline 14567. The SAGE initiative supports elderly-care start-ups with equity assistance of up to Rs 1 crore.

Bhupender Yadav Presents India’s Statement At CBD COP-17 In Yerevan

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav delivered India’s national statement at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia, on 27 October 2026. He said the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework must be implemented with adequate finance and technology transfer. India has 1,134 Protected Areas, 103 Ramsar sites and 18 Biosphere Reserves.

Piyush Goyal Concludes Two-Day Netherlands Visit On 25 And 26 October

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal concluded a two-day visit to the Netherlands on 25 and 26 October 2026. He toured the Port of Rotterdam and held talks with Dutch ministers. He co-chaired the India-Netherlands Business Forum and met leaders of companies such as ASML, Nexperia and Ingka Group.

Industry News

Cabinet Approves 3 Per Cent DA Hike And Three New Schemes

The Union Cabinet approved a 3 percentage point hike in Dearness Allowance, the Container Manufacturing Promotion Scheme, the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana on 28 October 2026. The container scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore up to 2039-40. The sports goods scheme has an outlay of over Rs 1,856 crore for eight years from 2026-27.

India’s Industrial Output Grows 6.7 Per Cent In September 2026

India’s Index of Industrial Production grew 6.7 per cent year on year in September 2026, easing from a revised 7.8 per cent in August. Electricity and gas supply grew 11.2 per cent and manufacturing grew 7.6 per cent. Mining contracted 6.2 per cent.

Piyush Goyal Says India To Quadruple Port Capacity By 2047

Piyush Goyal said in Rotterdam that India plans to increase its port capacity fourfold by 2047, after doubling it over the past decade. He highlighted cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam in maritime infrastructure, green energy and carbon capture. He pointed to the Sagarmala initiative for expanding port infrastructure.

Textile PLI Portal Reopens On 1 November With Lower Turnover Limit

The textiles ministry will reopen the application portal for the Production Linked Incentive scheme for textiles from 1 November to 31 December 2026. The minimum turnover for the second category is cut to Rs 100 crore from Rs 200 crore. The scheme’s tenure for companies approved in the fourth round is extended up to 2033-34.

Poonam Gupta Projects Public Debt Falling To 75.1 Per Cent By 2031-32

RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta said India’s general government debt is projected to fall from 84.3 per cent of GDP in 2025-26 to 75.1 per cent in 2031-32. She was speaking at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit. India is the only emerging market among nine economies above 1 trillion dollars projected to reduce its debt ratio between 2025 and 2031.

Government Considers Easing FDI Paperwork Under Press Note 2 Of 2026

The government is considering easing paperwork under Press Note 2 of 2026 for investors with non-controlling ownership of up to 10 per cent from land-bordering countries. The Cabinet had cleared easier FDI norms in March 2026, allowing the automatic route for such investments. Government approval is still needed where a land-bordering country entity holds a controlling stake.

CBIC Orders Year-Wise Demand In Multi-Year GST Show-Cause Notices

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs issued new circulars on 26 October 2026 following the 57th GST Council recommendations. Officers must split the demand year-wise in multi-year show-cause notices and back fraud allegations with specific evidence. The circulars also clarify export proceeds received in SNRR and INR Nostro accounts and Input Service Distributor credit rules.

Financial News

SEBI Makes Direct Plans Default On AMC Platforms From 1 November

SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said Direct Plans will be the default option on the digital platforms of asset management companies from 1 November. Investors choosing Regular Plans must be told about their higher expense ratios. He announced this at NDTV Profit Ignite in Mumbai on 28 October 2026.

SEBI And Bank Of England Sign MoU On Clearing Corporations

The Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Bank of England signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 28 October 2026. It covers cooperation and exchange of information on SEBI-recognised Clearing Corporations. The MoU also sets a framework for the Bank of England to rely on SEBI’s supervision of Central Counterparties.

National & State News

Prataprao Jadhav Launches Tobacco Free Youth Campaign 4.0 In New Delhi

Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav launched the fourth edition of the Tobacco Free Youth Campaign in New Delhi on 28 October 2026. The 60-day nationwide campaign aims to prevent tobacco initiation among young people. Over 5.8 lakh educational institutions and 73 thousand villages were declared tobacco-free under the earlier three editions.

Cabinet Approves PM Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana With Rs 7,395.55 Crore Outlay

The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Gram Swaraj Yojana, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, for 2026-27 to 2030-31. The total outlay is Rs 7,395.55 crore, with a central share of Rs 4,869.48 crore and a state share of Rs 2,526.07 crore. It will strengthen Panchayat governance through eGramSwaraj, AuditOnline and the PANCHAM platform.

Cabinet Approves 3 Percentage Point DA Hike For Central Employees

The Union Cabinet approved a 3 percentage point hike in Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief over the existing 60 per cent, effective from 1 July 2026. The hike benefits about 48.54 lakh Central Government employees and 68.71 lakh pensioners. The combined impact on the exchequer is Rs 10,016.10 crore a year.

World News

India And Mexico Sign Terms Of Reference For Preferential Trade Agreement

India and Mexico signed the Terms of Reference for a Preferential Trade Agreement in Mexico, formally launching negotiations. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Mexico’s Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez Romano signed it. The talks cover market access, rules of origin, customs procedures, dispute settlement and technical barriers to trade.

Books & Authors

NIF Announces 2026 Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Book Prize Shortlist

The New India Foundation announced a five-book shortlist for the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2026, the ninth annual edition. The winner receives Rs 15 lakh, to be presented on 12 December at the Bangalore Literature Festival. The shortlist includes Sam Dalrymple’s Shattered Lands and Narayani Basu’s A Man for All Seasons.

Ranking and Reports

KPMG Report: 35.5 Per Cent Of Indians Could Not Afford Healthy Diet

A KPMG in India report says around 35.5 per cent of India’s population, or about 520.1 million people, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. The report is titled Future of Food Systems: Preparing for the Next Frontier. It also puts India’s cold-storage capacity deficit at 10 to 15 million metric tonnes.